Question

Chemical reaction equations, such as the one for photosynthesis, show the reactants and products of a reaction. How does this simplification misrepresent what takes place during the process of photosynthesis?

Answer 1

Well, photosynthesis is actually simple,
6 CO2 + 12 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + 6 H2O

So Carbon + water --> Glucose + Oxygen + Water

Answer 2

The equation that @alphadxg shows is the net reaction for photosynthesis. This equation is the simplification - photosynthesis does not actually occur through one reaction like the equation seems to show. Instead, it occurs through a number of different reactions mediated by many different enzymes and protein complexes, and there are many reaction intermediates produced. However, when you add up all these individual reactions together, where the product of one reaction becomes the reactant for the next, most of the intermediates "cancel" each other and so all you're left with are what you first put in (i.e. CO2 and H2O) and what you last get out (i.e. C6H12O6 and O2).